We'll Move Mountains
by stAnd out - SHOUT OUT
Summary: When MK's older cousin visits, a year has passed since she was shrunken by one queen and restored by the next. Even though it is a cousin she barely knows, MK is devastated with the news that illness is slowly killing her. However, a small Marigold Queen just couldn't let such sorrow continue and follows in Queen Tara's footsteps, intervening with fate by shrinking her. Ronin/OC
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I own no characters except for Éabha.

Éabha pronunciation: EVA.

 **Prologue**

It was the night of a full moon, exactly one year since MK had returned to her life as a full sized human. Having just returned from seeing her friends in Moonhaven, the now young woman was surprised to see that her father wasn't there to greet her as he usually was. Instead, she could hear the aged Pug barking up a storm inside of the house. Blinking curiously, MK made her way across the front lawn to the front door of her family home.

It had been an interesting year since she had shrunk down into a tiny person two inches tall. She often went to visit Nod whenever he tripped one of the sensors on the cameras around the house or in the forest, but she never ventured too close to Moonhaven, not wanting to cause any trouble for the people there because of her enormous size in comparison to them. She was planning on going into school for biology and botany because of what happened to her. However, at the same time she didn't want to abandon her father again.

"Ozzy!" MK called as soon as she opened the door, wanting to stop the pug from barking. Why he was barking in the first place, she wasn't sure. The old, three legged dog came scampering into the room with all of her father's findings, an unfamiliar voice drifting through the house. "Hey, boy!" MK greeted as the dog wiggled happily at the sight of her, barking up at her as she bent to scratch behind his ear.

"MK!" her father called suddenly, drawing the young woman's attention over to the doorway to his study where he was emerging with another woman who appeared quite a few years older than MK. "Hey! I'm glad you're home!"

"Hey, dad. Who's this?" she asked curiously, moving her helmet behind her back.

"Oh, right! You were just a little girl when you last saw her; this is your cousin Éabha," he introduced. "She…uh, she stayed here with me after you and your mom left, trying to help me prove my theory." Realizing that the woman probably knew all about the civilization in the forest, MK smiled in greeting and moved to place her helmet on the table, no longer worrying about hiding it.

"Hi, sorry that I don't remember meeting you before," MK greeted, moving forward with a hand expended in greeting.

The woman didn't have any striking resemblance to her father, but she remembered that she did have a cousin on her father's side of the family. Her hair was a brighter red than MK's or her fathers, appearing like rippling fire as it curled around her cheeks, neck and shoulders before disappearing behind her back. "It's nice to see you again, Mary Katherine. Or I suppose it's MK now, hm?" Her voice was soft, almost seeming to caress MK's senses. "My, you've grown so much. I think you were only about three the last time I saw you, but look at you now." Her voice was thick with an Irish brogue, causing MK to smile when it reminded her of Ronin's softer one.

Her smile turned sad.

"You look so much like Aunty," she added on, referring to MK's mother.

"I've been told," MK laughed softly, not wanting the older woman to feel bad about bringing her mother up. She had coped with the loss, and she was getting to know her father so well now. It was like making up for all the time that she had lost with him before.

"Éabha's gunna be staying here for a while, so she…uh, so she-" MK's face pinched into a frown as her father stuttered over his explanation, glancing between the two woman as he tried to think on what to say. There was a pain in his eyes that she had only seen when MK's late mother came up.

"I'm dying," Éabha answered for him, still wearing that sad smile on her face. Mk's lips parted in surprise, trying to form words, but she didn't know what to say. "The doctors don't know what's wrong with me, but throughout the past years I've been getting weaker and weaker. They believe that I only have a couple of months left before my health deteriorates completely. I didn't want to stay locked up in a hospital room, so I called Uncle Bomba to see if he would mind me staying here for a while."

"Oh, Éabha, I'm so sorry," MK finally said, reaching for the other woman but unsure of how to try and console her.

Shaking her head and causing curls of red hair of bounce, she just held her sad smile. "That's alright. I've…had my time of adjustment."

MK offered to cook dinner for everyone, as her father knew only the basics of cooking—at best—and Éabha whole heartedly offered her assistance. If gave the women time to catch up, telling each other what had happened since they were children. MK told Éabha all about when she had been shrunken down by the Queen, noticing that Éabha listened with rapt attention.

"You must have been terrified," she mumbled when MK finished, ending with her and her father meeting back up after she had been returned to her normal size.

"You have no idea," MK muttered, getting a smile from the older woman.

Éabha was twenty eight years old and had been living in San Francisco before she fell ill and had to move to Miami for proper medical care. She had a soft, pale face and green eyes—just like her and her father. Her mother, MK's aunt, had looked almost exactly like MK's father and therefore the two women could probably have been passed off as siblings. However, Éabha's father had been a tall, red haired Irishman that gave Éabha her height of five feet seven inches and a broad jaw, shoulders and hips. She was thin and long, but her bones were broad and made her seem bigger than she really was.

"So, what did you do before you…got sick?" MK asked, still feeling awkward to mention the illness of the other woman. It made it hard to want to get to know her, realizing that she was going to die in a few short months, but she also wanted her to know what she was welcome in their home.

"I was a violinist," she answered with a smile. "I've played since I was young; father insisted on it."

"Was he a musician, too?"

"Oh, yes, papa could play the guitar, the piano, the violin and the cello." MK's mouth was hanging open when the list ended, her green eyes wide in shock. That many? "I can also play piano, but I've never been able to pick up on any others."

MK could help but to scoff teasingly. "More than me, I couldn't play an instrument to save my life."

"Have you ever tried to learn?" Éabha returned, causing MK to blush when she realized that the other redhead was right—she had never tried to learn an instrument. So she didn't really have any right to say she never could. Distracting herself with checking on the pot of water that they had put their spaghetti noodles in, Éabha smiled in amusement behind her before she bent in front of the stove to check on the garlic bread.

"Did you bring a violin with you?" MK asked after a heartbeat of silence, using a fork to stir the noodles around and check to see if they were nearly done. They sauce was finished and sitting to the side on a low heat burner, only the bread and noodles left to finish cooking.

"I never go anywhere without it," Éabha answered with a brilliant smile, snatching an oven-mitt from the counter to take the pan of bread out of the oven. "Where's your cheese?"

"Bottom crisper in the fridge. I think dad uses it to hide the beets," MK answered, receiving an odd look from her older cousin that made her laugh aloud. "Yea, you get used to it!"

Cracking a smile and shaking her head, the Irishwoman moved to the fridge with nimble movements to retrieve the cheese to grade for the bread. They kept a light conversation as they were cooking, working on finishing up the meal as MK's father continually popped his head around the doorframe and praised the smell of the food.

Éabha couldn't stop herself from smiling as she spent time with a family she hadn't known in a long time. Standing with her uncle and cousin, aiding with helping set the table in the modest dining room, she felt more welcomed and at ease than she had since the doctors first told her she was sick and they didn't know what it was.

"You know, I think I'm going to help you organize some of your things, uncle," Éabha teased as she moved a pile of sketches off of the table so they had more room. "You need more shelves in here."

"I've been trying to help him clean up all year!" MK added on with a laugh, pointing the sauce spoon at her father, who was scratching the back of his head bashfully. "Don't worry dad, we'll help you out," she teased, getting a laugh from her older cousin as they all took their seats, places finally free of clutter.

"The house is beautiful on the inside, but you've got stacks of maps and books and papers everywhere; you can't see anything!"

"I'm sorry, I always just got so caught up in the research aspects that I didn't really think about keeping the house neat," he admitted abashedly, scratching the back of his head as he looked down at his plate.

Éabha and MK grinned at each other before they began with dinner, dishing out pasta on each plate before added sauce and a slice of garlic bread. The conversation was forgotten in favour of the delicious food, but throughout the meal the three chatted off and on, mostly about the things that the father and daughter had learned since Éabha had last visited. She had never seen two people talk over each other so excitedly before and it made her snicker in amusement.

"You should play for us," MK proposed when there was nothing but crumbs and smears of pasta sauce left on the three plates, piled in the center of the table. Éabha blushed slightly but smiled at the thought of playing her beloved instrument. It was the one her father had given her; old and well used, but cared for like her greatest treasure.

"Sure, if you'd like," she agreed bashfully, moving to go and collect the case that had been left next to her suitcase by the door, initially missed by MK when she first got back. There was always so much stuff lying around she never really took notice of when something new popped up. MK excitedly moved the dishes into the kitchen as Éabha was pulling out the violin and its accompanying bow.

She was back in her seat, waiting patiently, by the time Éabha had finished tuning the instrument to her satisfaction. Glancing to her younger cousin briefly, taking in her excited expression, she made the first draw of her bow across the cords of the violin. The first note drew out long and slow, but when next she drew it across the strings, shifting the angle and her fingers, the remainder of the melody picked up quickly and became a fast succession of notes that jumped and skipped like the animals of the forest.

MK closed her eyes as she listened, picturing the movements of the hummingbirds that the Leafmen flew. When she opened her eyes again, Éabha's eyes were closed peacefully as she played, the song slowing down slightly but keeping the same melody. Glancing over to her father, she was surprised to see that there were tears glistening in his eyes. When he saw her looking his way, he waved his hand silently to try and dissuade her concern for him. Éabha began playing faster again, and from the sound of the song MK could tell that it was coming to an end.

With an upward flourish of the bow, the lasting ring of the strings lingered a moment more before the room went quiet.

Éabha's bright green eyes opened to look at her small audience, a smile warming her face as she took in the expressions on the two before her. She didn't seem surprised at Bomba's reaction to the song, telling MK that there was some kind of significance to the one she had decided to play. "Do you know the song, MK?" she asked softly, watching her young cousin shake her head. "It's called _The Hills of Ireland_. Father used to play it all the time. It's kind of like he was bringing a piece of home with him."

That explained her father's reaction.

"It reminded me of the Leafmen," MK offered a moment later, reaching over to take her father's hand in comfort. Hearing the song must have made him remember his lost brother-in-law and sister; she wanted to offer what comfort she could. She didn't remember her relatives much, but she knew Bomba loved his family dearly. "They were so quick and precise, especially on their birds."

"You should hear the song with all the instruments. Flutes, pianos, harps." Éabha's eyes sparkled happily as she spoke. "It's magic."

"Do you know some of the other songs from Ireland?" Bomba asked quietly, leaning forward on his elbows. Éabha's expression brightened up, the reminder of her father no longer dampening her thoughts. The distant sound of one of the camera sensors rang out, having MK jump off her seat quickly.

"Sorry, be right back!" she rushed, dashing from the room. Éabha looked to her uncle for an answer, which he gave by holding his thumb and pointed finger two inches apart, telling her that it was probably this Nod man that she'd gushed about earlier. Éabha smiled in amusement as she glanced in the direction MK had dashed off in, the sound of the girl chatting excitedly telling her that it was indeed Nod.

"Would you play another one?" Bomba asked after a moment, his eyes alight with excitement. The only other time she'd seen that was when he'd been raving out the advanced civilization of little people.

"My pleasure," she assured, resuming her original position as she rested her chin in the violin. This time she played one she had learned recently, wishing that there was a way she could play and sing the lyrics together but knowing that holding the violin hindered her voice. So, instead, she played only the violin portion of _Scarborough Fair_. It kept a steadier pace than the previous one, but was just as quick and whimsical as _The Hills of Ireland._

Unbeknownst to the two in the dining room, the sound had carried through to the room that MK was sitting in, hands to her mouth as she smiled uncontrollably at the expression on Nod's face. She kept silent so as not to interrupt the woman's playing, letting Nod listen to the song. She'd just been telling him about her visiting cousin when the faint sound of the violin began again, growing in intensity as she fell into the rhythm of the tune.

Steadily, it drifted off again, leaving the house with a haunting silence. Even Ozzy was quiet for once, lying on the floor as he excitedly stared at the girl in front of him. On the computer screen, Nod's jaw was hanging open, staring over MK's shoulder even without being able to see the one who had been playing the beautiful melody.

"That…What was that?" Nod asked after a moment, still caught in the sound of the instrument. MK didn't know much about the music they had at Moonhaven, but she was pretty sure they didn't have violins or cellos, things that required such carefully made bows and strings.

"It's called a violin," she answered. "You should have heard the first song she played, it reminded me a lot of you guys."

"Really?" he asked, straightening up in surprise.

"Yea, I'll have to get her to play it again for you sometime. Do you want to meet her?" MK asked excitedly. It wasn't often she got to show something to him, something that awed him. Most of the time he was the one who had amazing things to show her, things that she had never dreamed could be real.

Nod began to agree, but looked at something off camera just before he had the chance. "Sorry, I'll have to take a rain check. Ronin's calling me back in for something." Glancing at the time, MK frowned in concern. "Don't worry, it's probably just a perimeter check. He's still really jumpy with the new Queen, making sure she's absolutely safe."

"I'm sure," MK agreed, smiling again. "Well, good luck. And be careful."

"Don't worry, I'll be fine!" he assured, stepping back away from the camera.

And directly off the tree branch.

MK lurched toward the screen, eyes wide as he disappeared from view so abruptly. A few seconds passed before a distant _'I'm fine!'_ came from off screen. Relaxing back into her chair with a shake of her head, the redhead couldn't believe that she was such good friends with such a danger-prone guy. She still remembered when she had to go and Heimlich him out of a slug.

Shutting down the camera, she turned in the chair to return to her father and cousin. Éabha looked a bit paler, her violin sitting in her lap as she spoke with her uncle in a quiet voice. MK wondered whether that was how Éabha spoke naturally or if it was because of her weakened body, but she didn't dare ask her. If she was able, MK wanted to make her stay at their home as welcoming and comfortable as she could.

Bomba and Mk cleaned up from their meal, preventing Éabha from doing so when she attempted to and swayed suddenly upon standing from her chair. Instead, Bomba sat her in the living room with some of his sketches that MK had helped him to accurately create from what she had experienced of Moonhaven. There weren't any kind of portraits, mostly just him designing the outfits that the Leafmen wore or the saddles that sat on the Hummingbirds.

She could tell that Mk had tried to help with some of them, but her sketching capabilities weren't as up to par as her father's and it was easy to separate the styles. One such drawing was what looked like a home, tucked into a tree hollow. Her fingers delicately turned the pages, taking in all the wondrous things. She wished that it was something she could see; a world so full of magic and wonder. After having lived in the dreadful confines of the city, the nature of the forest life compelled her.

"What do you think?" MK asked quietly as she came to sit next to her cousin, taking in the captivated expression on the woman's face.

"I wish I could have seen it," she answered sadly, gently tracing over one of the drawings of a Hummingbird, the scratching representation of a Leafman on its back. "You were given a wonderful blessing, MK. I'm jealous." Éabha's eyes sparkled with her answer, telling MK that she was mostly just teasing her about the jealous part.

"Nod heard you playing the violin earlier. You should have seen his face. He wants to meet you, if you'd like that?"

Her smile brightened further as Éabha closed the sketchbook gently. "I would love to meet him." MK returned her smile as she shifted excitedly in her seat.

"Great!"


	2. The Forest Weeps For Me

**The Forest Weeps For Me**

The days passed fairly quickly for the family, MK researching schools that she could go to nearby while also helping Éabha to clean up her father's home. Bomba didn't spend as much time in the forest as he once had, understanding that he could put the folk living in the woods in danger with his size, but he did continue to study the results he received from his equipment. Nod had only been able to check in once, barely talking with MK for a minute before Ronin showed up to rush him off again. MK didn't know what had them so busy, neither of the men willing to tell her, but she decided that if it was really important, they would tell her.

"So…who knows how to build this?" Éabha asked as she looked down at the box on the floor, containing the shelf they had bought for more of Bomba's books and papers, hating them being all over the tables and floor.

MK blinked at the instructions, not understanding what it was saying. They names for the tools and pieces were completely foreign to her. "Uh…" she answered slowly, glancing back to her cousin with a baffled expression. They stared at one another for a second before the two women started laughing, realizing just how much more they had taken into hand. Clearly, both had bit off more than they could chew.

"This is going to take us forever," Éabha mumbled as she shook her head, crossing her arms loosely. "Should we just wait for your father to get back from town?" she asked as MK straightened up, dropping the instructions back into the box. They had ordered it online and had it delivered to the house, opting to save some money by building it themselves instead of hiring the workers to put it together themselves.

"He did put of most of the shelves here," MK agreed, glancing at the large bookshelves that covered his office.

"Well, that's decided!" Éabha confirmed, clapping her hands as she turned away from the box. "Want to go for a walk while we wait?"

"Sure! You haven't had the chance to visit the woods, huh?" MK asked, following the older woman as she slipped her hands into the pockets of her sweater, the soft green material reaching down to mid-thigh and accented with black leggings beneath. Éabha was wearing a white halter style dress that reached below her knees, a thin sweater of pale green over her shoulders and covering her exposed back. MK had tied her hair back while Éabha's was braided over her shoulder.

MK stepped forward to link her arm through Éabha's, the two women making sure that Ozzy was safe in the house before they left. MK knew that if they took him with them he'd probably run off and they'd have to spend their entire walk chasing him down. "I wish I could show you Moonhaven, it's beautiful."

"Don't worry, I understand. I wouldn't want to scare them by having to oversized people show up. What did you say they called us? Stompers?"

MK laughed awkwardly, still hating that name. "Yea, that."

Éabha laughed softly at the expression on her cousin's face, letting her lead the way as they entered the woods. "You look entirely offended!"

"I am!" MK answered defensively. "Come on, aren't you? I mean, of all things they call us: stompers? Am I really that heavy?"

"To someone so small, probably. I mean, you saw your dad while you were that small. Did he make the earth feel like it was quaking beneath your feet?" Éabha asked wisely, getting a reluctant grumble of agreement from MK. "Don't worry about it so much. To those who matter, you and your dad changed the view of big people. You did save the day, right? If your dad hadn't shown up and you hadn't used his iPod to call away the bats…"

"Yea, you're right. I doubt they'll like humans any time soon, but at least they don't mock dad anymore. Although, Nod will sometimes slip up now and then and accidentally say something like 'big and dumb' before he remembers that he's talking to a stomper."

Éabha stopped suddenly to watch a small mouse dart across their path, startled by them and quickly trying to get away from the women. MK shuddered as she was reminded of the mouse that had attacked her and Nod. Éabha noticed the shiver and smiled in amusement, but refrained from laughing at the poor girl.

The quiet moment was broken abruptly when the screech of a crow sounded behind the two women, causing them both to jump and look back quickly. MK gasped at the sight of the large black bird heading straight for them, freezing on the spot as she was reminded of the Boggans. They'd ridden crows just like the Leafmen had their hummingbirds. A light shove against her side pushed MK out of the crows path but Éabha didn't have the time to dodge after she'd pushed MK, only turning her face away as she crow darted passed her face, one of his talons drawing along her cheek.

Flinching in pain as her hand moved up to her cheekbone, feeling along the red welt that was starting to form. It didn't seem to be bleeding, thankfully, but it stung. MK quickly righted herself again and rushed up to her cousin, green eyes wide. "Are you alright? Did it cut you?"

"No, just a scrape," Éabha assured, letting MK look at her cheek. "But why did it do that? I've never seen a crow do something like that before."

"I have," MK grumbled, looking in the direction the crow had headed. "Boggans rode on crows. "

"But I thought they were gone?" Éabha frowned, the pinch of her brow making the red scrape on her cheek more prominent.

"Mandrake, the leader of the Boggans, is gone. Nod said that there were still other clusters had haven't fled the forest, sometimes causing trouble. I'm worried that it might be worse than he's telling me; it would explain why he's been so busy lately. And that crow."

"It could have been one of the Boggans that knew you when you were small," Éabha offered, hand lifting to her stinging cheek. "Not surprising that they'd be holding a grudge against the one who was able to help save Moonhaven." MK nodded in agreement, frowning as she watching her older cousin gingerly touch her cheek. She was relieved that it wasn't bleeding, but it was a fair sized welt and she could tell that it was probably stinging pretty bad.

Sighing, MK glanced back in the direction they'd come. "We should go back and clean that," she proposed, but Éabha caught her glancing in the direction of the crow. She was worried about what it could mean, and if her friends were safe.

"We can stay out here, it's not even a cut," Éabha refused quickly, beginning to walk after the crow. Mk's eyes filled with relief and she followed quickly, sticking close to her cousin as they walked carefully through the forest. They walked for a few more minutes, Éabha following MK since she really didn't know what was in what direction. She would surely get lost if she went out on her own. She didn't want to force MK to turn back, but all of the walking and the brief spike in adrenaline had made her tired and she was left trying to hide the sudden drag of her feet from MK.

Finally, the younger redhead stopped walking to look around, letting Éabha sigh in relief as she leaned heavily against a tree. She loved the chance to walk through the forest, taking in the beautiful scenery and the smells of the forest that she'd never had in the city, but she was starting to feel lightheaded and could barely lift her feet.

"No sign of any other crows, or rot. I must have been just the one…" MK pondered aloud, slowly looking around the forest that surrounding the two women. "Still kind of odd—Éabha!" she gasped, finally noticing the pale state of her cousin as she leaned heavily against the tree. "Oh god, I'm so sorry!" She was immediately right in front of Éabha, hands on the older woman's arms as though to further support her. "I…I forgot…you-"

"Relax, MK," Éabha assured, her hand lifting to rest on MK's soft hair. "I'm just tired."

MK didn't call her out on her lie, but she could tell from the expression she was wearing that she it was more than fatigue that had the Irishwoman so pale. "Do you want to head back now?" MK asked quietly, hating herself for forgetting about Éabha's sickness. She'd noticed it over the past couple of days; it didn't take much physical activity to tire her out and here she had her wandering through the forest. She was a terrible cousin, putting her concern for her friends before her family.

However, Éabha smiled in assurance, showing no malice for MK's forgetfulness. "In a bit, I think I need to just rest here for a few. You can keep going if you want," she proposed. MK's eyes darted along the path before returning to Éabha's face, the smile still lingering as she waited for the answer she already knew her cousin was going to give. Soon, Éabha was settled at the base of the tree, her legs tucked beneath her as MK carefully treaded deeper into the forest, making sure she was careful where she stepped.

Watching as the younger woman disappeared through the thickening trees, Éabha sighed softly and let her head fall back against the tree. She hated that she made the people around her worry so much. She had come to terms with her illness, yes, but others always walked on eggshells around her or treated her like glass. Sometimes she could understand, like when Bomba and MK hadn't let her help with the dishes after dinner, but a moment ago Mk had been acting like her heart was going to give out that very moment.

Turning her eyes mournfully upward, Éabha let herself get lost in the intricate winding of branches and leaves, the canopy overhead almost blocking out all sunlight. It looked like a masterpiece of light and shadows, the barest hints of sun peeking through sections of leaves or lighting them a brilliant green colour. She doubted that MK would want to bring her out into the woods again after this; too afraid of worsening her health, so Éabha let herself take in the beautiful forest while she had the chance.

Shifting her legs so her knees were drawn up, skirt wrapped around her thighs, Éabha leaned backward more heavily as she closed her eyes to listen acutely. She'd never heard so much noise that didn't bother her before—the city was terribly loud, full of shouting and machinery. This was like a symphony of sounds that blended in wondrous harmony.

Minutes passed gradually, Éabha feeling better with every second of rest. Her head cleared and her legs began to regain their proper feeling. She almost jumped when she felt something tickling her leg—sitting so still, a small chipmunk had drawn up close to her, sniffing at the pale skin of her ankle. Remaining still, she watched the little critter lean its front paws on her leg, still sniffing away. Hearing a sound too quiet for Éabha to hear, the critter looked quickly behind her before it darted away, into the brush nearby.

Fully awake again, Éabha looked around as she realized it had probably been a fair amount of time since MK went off on her own. "I hope she's not lost," she mumbled quietly, not sure whether MK really knew the woods as well as she thought. The last time she'd really gotten deep into the forest was when she was two inches tall.

A moment after she spoke, she felt another caress against her bare ankle. Glancing down, expecting the chipmunk to have returned, the Irishwoman couldn't contain her gasp of surprise to see a flower. Or, what she had at first assumed was a flower—a white Marigold—upon first sight. However, as she looked more carefully, she noticed that there was a Marigold-like top but a thicker stem and a white petal skirt. It had to be one of the beings of the forest that MK had told her about. The Jinn.

The small flower jinn placed a hand on her ankle again, and Éabha assumed that she was looking up at her. What she wanted from her, she wasn't so sure. Perhaps she thought that she was MK?

As she wondered what it could be that she wanted, the tiny hand on her ankle began to glow, startling Éabha into wanting to pull away but finding herself unable to do so. The faint light began to spread, transferring from the little jinn until it had begun to encase her leg, travelling steadily upward. It tore a gasp from the Irishwoman, but before she could think to do more, the entire world seemed to spin around her. Closing her eyes against the dizzying feeling, Éabha could only feel something hot spreading over her body, the sounds of the forest disappearing to be replaced with a powerful rushing in her ears.

Raising her hands to cover her ears, hoping to soothe the sound, caused her to realize that the sound was in her head. Only when the heat under her skin started to abate and cool did the sound calm as well, leaving her sitting on the ground with her hands over her ears and her eyes squeezed shut. What just happened? Was she on fire? What about the flower jinn?

"Are you alright?"

The childish voice reached through the muffling of her hands, causing Éabha to jump in surprise as she looked up, shocked. Standing before her was the white Marigold jinn, a young girl that was barely the equivalent of a teenager, with a concerned look on her face. When Éabha opened her eyes and moved her hands away, showing a response, a smile broke out over her face.

"It worked!"

"Huh?" Éabha asked dumbly, staring at the jinn in utter shock. Yes, she had wanted to see the world that her cousin had experienced but she never actually thought it would happen! "What? Worked?"

"You! You're a Leafwoman now!"

" _What?!"_ Éabha shrieked, leaping to her feet and looking all around, taking in the enormous plant life and the larger than life tree she had been leaning against only a minute ago. Turning around to face the flower jinn again, she took the chance to really examine her. "You…you shrunk me?"

"Not just shrunk you, you're a Leafwoman now, not a human," the marigold explained. "But you're all better now!" she added on when Éabha only stared at her in absolute shock. The rushed addition only made her tense body droop abruptly, unable to wrap her mind around what the little jinn could mean. "I could feel you through the forest, the tree especially. You were so sick, and I couldn't do anything with you so big so I turned you into a Leafwoman. Are you MK's sister? You look so much like her!"

The rushed answers and questions coming from the marigold was making her head spin, so Éabha quickly sat back down as she tried to collect her thoughts. "Wait, please slow down," she asked quietly, her hands raising up to quiet the exuberant and innocent jinn. "I'm MK's cousin," she answered first, "and she's around here somewhere. But what do you mean you…turned me into a Leafwoman?"

"The same thing happened to MK when she came here," the jinn explained, stepping up to Éabha quickly and sitting herself beside the woman. "Queen Tara didn't just shrink her, she turned her into a Leafwoman as well. That's why she was able to jump and run like them. You were really sick, I could feel it through the life of the forest—the trees and plants and animals all wanted to help you, and they were calling to me, but I couldn't do anything while you were a stomper so here we are!"

The excitement and innocence the young girl spoke with made Éabha smile, even as overwhelmed as she was. "So…you must be the new Queen."

The marigold nodded her head excitedly, green cheeks flushed with happiness. "I'm Nova, the Marigold."

"It's nice to meet you, Nova. I'm Éabha," she answered, smiling wider now. But she was still so…baffled. What was she going to do now? "Nova, what happens if you make me human again?"

Nova's smile dimmed as she looked down to her hands, folded neatly on her white skirt. "You'll be sick again." The answer left a weight of dread in Éabha's stomach. She couldn't return to her family without her sickness returning as well. "But…do you want to be big again? You can stay with us, and MK and her father aren't far! And you're healthy!"

Éabha went to answer her, not wanting the Queen to think that she was ungrateful or something, but was cut off by the familiar screech of a crow before she had the chance. Nova jumped in fright as the two looked toward the sound, spotting the crow that was zooming through the trees toward them. Éabha assumed it was the same one to have scratched her cheek because it was coming from that direction, from MK's direction.

"Run!" she shouted as her hands immediately took hold of Nova's and pulling her away from the tree, into the underbrush. They couldn't outrun a bird, that was for sure, but they could hopefully hide from it. Nova held her hand tightly as they ran, foliage closing in around them so that the bird, and probably a Boggan rider, couldn't reach them.

Looking up as the plants moved, Éabha realized that it was the perfect guidance for the bird. "Nova, when we stop running, can you continue to move the plants like we didn't stop? The Boggan should follow the plants and we can lose him!"

"Good idea!" Nova beamed before the two ducked to the side beneath a fern; Nova concentrated and held her hand outward, toward the plants, and kept them moving like a tunnel in the direction they had taken. She only did this long enough for the bird to fly overhead, unbeknownst to the two hiding in the greenery.

As soon as he was passed, they turned and ran in the other direction, leaving him to try and find them when the foliage stopped moving with the Queen's magic no longer present. They didn't go very far, not wanting to get lost in the forest, but they remained hidden from sight as they stopped to catch their breath. It had been years since Éabha had ran like that, even before she'd gotten sick, so she was much more out of shape than she realized. "It worked! That was a great idea!"

Panting tiredly, Éabha looked back the way they had come. "Hopefully that's the only one," she mumbled quietly. "That crow attacked me and MK earlier," she told Nova. "She's been worried that the Boggans are back, causing more trouble."

Nova frowned in worry as she nodded. "Most fled after Mandrake was locked in the tree by the last of Queen Tara's magic, but some of them stayed in clusters and they've been trying to spread rot like before."

Noticing the Queens worry, Éabha crouched in front of her to put herself at the same height as the white marigold jinn. "I'm sure everything will be alright. If what MK told me is true, the Leafmen are strong, and you can trust them with your life."

Nova's smile returned, lightening Éabha's heart.

"So, are you out here alone or is there someone that you ran away from?" she asked a moment later, a teasing lilt to her tone that caused the Queen to flush sheepishly. Of course she had come out with a couple of guards, wanting to practice her magic and have some fun. And of course she had ditched them as soon as she could, sneaking into the greenery and soon finding where the trees had been whispering, Éabha leaning against one.

Chuckling softly, Éabha stood up again and offered her hand to Nova.

"Well, let's go find them."


	3. Parting in High Praises

**Parting in High Praises**

Walking with Queen Nova, Éabha listened to the girl as she spoke excitedly, her words fast and sometimes jumbled in her rush to get them out. It was cute and endearing. It also helped to distract her from the fact that she was in way over her head. Knowing she had a chance to live was wonderful, but having to make the decision between staying a Leafwoman or dying as a human, being with her family or in a world she knows nothing about, was starting to give her anxiety.

"Queen Nova!"

The sudden shout caused both females to stop abruptly, Nova finally going quiet as a hummingbird with its Leafman rider approached quickly. Nova bowed her head sheepishly, hands tucking behind her as the bird landed and the rider leapt off. "Hey, Finn," she greeted shyly in her adolescent way, knowing that even as the new Queen she was about to get in trouble.

"Queen Nova, we've been over this, you can't just run off like that-"

The guard dressed in green suddenly stopped as he noticed the woman walking next to the Queen, wearing a dress that most definitely was not of Moonhaven origin. Éabha fidgeted slightly under the stare, hoping that she wasn't about to get in trouble as well.

"Not again," he muttered instead, realizing that this woman looked strikingly like MK. "Queen Nova, what did you do?"

"I saved her!" Nova answered, her happiness returning. "Please, Finn, don't be mad. The forest wanted me to save her!"

Finn drew back in surprise at her, not expecting her loud proclamation. "Saved her?" he stuttered out, wide eyes looking between the two women.

"I was very sick," Éabha answered for the child, not wanting her to get into any trouble for her sake. "I wasn't aware that it was upsetting the forest. I was resting when Queen Nova found me." The soft, musical sound of the woman's voice made Finn pause and blush slightly. She was very beautiful, he had to admit, and looked roughly his age if she had always been a Leafwoman. She was tall as well, but quite thin. Her red hair was braided loosely over one shoulder, a light tulip red, with luminous green eyes. The softness of her voice was pleasant on his senses, especially since he'd spent most of his morning listening to Nova's loud, excited talking.

Clearing his throat, the Leafman looked away from her toward his bird. "Well, we should get back to the rest of the guard. They've been very worried for you, Nova. Ronin was…quite upset when he found out you'd slipped away again."

 _Finally, a name I recognize,_ Éabha thought, hoping that it was the same General Ronin that had helped MK and Nod.

"Am I in trouble?" Nova asked before she'd even stepped forward.

Finn let out a soft sigh. "No, my Lady, you're not in trouble. You are the Queen, and you had your reasons. But…please stop sneaking away. The Boggans have been getting more daring lately."

"I'll say," Éabha said before she could catch herself. Finn looked to her as her eyes widened, jaw snapping shut in surprise. She hadn't meant to do that.

"You've seen them?"

Without thinking, her hand lifted to where the red line still adorned her cheek, clear against her pale skin. "Before the Queen found me, I was walking with MK. We were attacked by a crow and it was able to cut my cheek—we weren't sure, but MK thought it could be a Boggan that recognized her." Finn stepped forward suddenly, startling to redhead into flinching back, but all he did was look carefully at the red mark. "It's alright, it doesn't even sting anymore."

"I'll have one of the healers check on it, just in case," he answered, backing up again. "Come, before Ronin sends all the Leafmen after you, Highness."

Finn helped Nova onto the hummingbird first, letting the Queen scoot all the way to the front as she patted the head of the bird. The Leafman hopped up next, still able to hold the reigns around Nova, before he offered a hand to Éabha. She carefully mounted behind him, adjusting her skirt as she slipped up behind him to get a proper hold. The thought of being so close to him didn't really bother her; she'd rather hold on tight and know she wasn't going to fall off than get bashful and distant. However, the skirt of her dress was hiked up and her thighs were visible on either side of him.

As soon as she was comfortable and Finn was sure neither female would fall, he nudged the bird into flight, zipping through the air. Having watched how fast hummingbirds flew as a human, Éabha watched the world pass as they darted through the air. Now she realized how slow they must have looked to smaller creatures, much faster than they were. The bird didn't seem to be moving near as fast from this perspective.

The wind blew her braid backward, over her shoulder to trail behind them like a veil. Nova was watching the scenery much more calmly, while Éabha was staring in shock at the large streams and towering trees. The forest had made her feel insignificant before, now it was completely overwhelming.

She heard the other hummingbirds before she saw them, the beat of wings sounding much slower than she was accustomed. It no longer sounded like a thrumming sound, but like individual beats like a regular bird. Looking around, she spotted the other Leafmen and women as they dropped from above, circling around them to lend protection to their Queen.

Looking back at the Leafman to her right flank, she noticed him falter with wide eyes at the sight of her behind Finn. Turning forward again, she hoped it was her unfamiliar face and not her bare legs wrapped around his comrade. When she was looking ahead again, she couldn't stop the gasp from leaving her lips as they approached a pond, the one that she had seen sketched in Bomba's book, with a towering rock formation at the far end.

"Welcome to Moonhaven," Finn called back to her, having heard her gasp.

"It's beautiful," she whispered in awe. The sketch did the actual pond no justice, especially with the way the sun was shining over the pond, lighting the water with a reflection of the forest around it. She could see jinn all around, some lingering near the pond while others were clustered together near the greenery. Most of them waved or called as they flew by, acknowledging the Leafmen and their Queen.

"Hold on tight," Finn warned her, descending toward the rocks at an angle that would have caused Éabha to fall backward if she hadn't been clutching at his torso tight enough. Nova fell back into Finn because of it as well, but the Leafmen kept his body straight and in good form. Éabha mentally applauded him for it—one girl leaning against him and the other clutching to his back and he stayed steady.

The other Leafmen around them landed as well, dismounting from their birds.

Finn had barely landed before Nova had leapt off of the hummingbird, taking off toward where a daisy jinn was standing, a worried look disappearing from her face as Nova shouted 'Mom! Guess what I did!' while sprinting across the courtyard. Éabha slid backward slightly on the saddle to give her some space from Finn, beginning to wonder how she was going to dismount with making a fool of herself. Bad enough she hadn't ridden in a saddle of any kind since she was a child—on a horse, not a bird—and worse yet she was wearing a dress.

Thankfully, her concerns were for not, because Finn hopped off the bird gracefully before he turned back to where Éabha remained, offering her a hand. She took his hand to steady herself as she shifted on the saddle to let her legs hang off from the same side, calming her worries about accidentally flashing someone if she had been forced to swing her leg over like on a horse. Finn kept her one hand in a strong hold while the other came to her waist, lightening her landing as she slipped off the saddle.

Neither noticed a baffled Nod staring at them from where he'd perched his bird. He may not have met her, but he knew this had to be MK's cousin.

"Thank you," Éabha mumbled shyly as she stepped away from Finn, receiving a bashful nod from the man.

When she turned to look for Nova, the young Queen was already beginning to pull her mother in their direction. "You're about to become very popular," Finn warned, knowing the result of the Queen's innocent and exuberant attitude.

He was right, of course.

The men and women in green around them watched curiously as the new woman was nearly accosted by the young Queen, introducing her to her mother, the white daisy jinn. Word spread quickly to the other Leafmen that there Queen had been found, and that she had brought a new face with her. Even nearby jinn were popping up to try and get a look at Éabha. She stood out easily in her white dress among green armor, as well as the bright colour of her hair. It was even brighter than Finn's, and that was a miracle all its own.

When Ronin landed with his team, he was shocked to see yet another stomper had been shrunken down to their size, Nova holding her hand as she explained to her mother what had happened excitedly. Finn was standing close by, both to protect the Queen and try to ease the overwhelmed woman that had joined them. He only stepped away when he saw his General approaching, his white overcoat flashing in the sun and making the tall man catch his attention from his peripheral.

Nod jogged up to join them, wanting to know what had happened as well. Was MK aware of her cousin's situation? He found himself doubting it.

"The woman was apparently very sick and the forest was calling out to the young Queen to help her. However, according to Queen Nova, the only way she could save her was to turn her into a Leafwoman and make her our size," Finn explained, standing with Ronin and Nod as they watched the new Leafwoman crouch down to the height of their Queen, talking to her with a soft smile on her face. "Her name is Éabha, she's Mary Katherine's cousin."

"I knew it," Nod mumbled.

"She also sounds just like you," Finn added, looking to Ronin as he said this.

The General frowned in confusion. "What? Like me?"

"Your accent," the Leafman elaborated. "Hers is even thicker, actually." Then, his face grew serious. "Before the Queen found her, she and MK were attacked by a crow. MK thought it could be a Boggan and tried to follow it."

"Ronin! Ronin!"

Nova's shouts interrupted their conversation, preventing Nod and Ronin and answering, and drew their attention to the Queen that was dragging Éabha over to them by a firm hold on the woman's skirt. The woman must have had the patience of a saint because she didn't seem bothered by Nova's excited tugging, or the rushed, awkward walk she had to do because of the hold on her skirt. "Lighten up there, your Highness, you're gunna trip her," Nod warned lightheartedly. However, Nova realized he was right and quickly slowed down but didn't release the soft dress's material. The men bowed to the Queen as she arrived among their group.

"Good, Nod, you're here, too! Has MK introduced you to Éabha?"

"No, we haven't had the pleasure yet," Nod answered the young Queen, before he held his hand out to Éabha, "but MK's told me about you. And I must say, whatever instrument you were playing, it sounded beautiful."

"Thank you," she accepted, shaking his hand as her cheeks flushed from the praise. "Though, I thought I'd be meeting you through a camera lens, not…face to face." She glanced down at herself, trying to adjust to herself being tiny. Other than the fact that she wasn't tired, she didn't feel any different. The softness of her voice was surprising, especially paired with the rough accent that was indeed thicker than Ronin's. Nova discretely slipped away from them, caught by her mother before she could get too far.

"Éabha, this is General Ronin," Finn introduced, motioning to the only one who had yet to speak.

Her smile turned his way, emerald eyes bright against the sunlight, and her hand offered out. "It's nice to meet you. Mk's said some high praises about you." Ronin returned her smile with just the faintest upturn of the corner of his lips, his larger hand dwarfing hers as she shook it in greeting.

"Hey, what about me?" Nod interrupted, wondering about what MK had told her cousin about him. "I don't get high praises?"

Éabha smiled as though in assurance, but there was a faint raise of her eyebrow as she glanced at him, releasing his superiors hand to innocently clasp them behind her back. His face soured at the realization as he pointed from her to Ronin.

"You're worse than this old man."

"Old? Who's the one who got his ass kicked in this morning's training?" Ronin countered as one of his eyebrows lifted to mirror Éabha, daring Nod to deny the hidden accusation. Éabha shared a look with Finn as her eyes danced with amusement, his own with exasperation. He must have to put up with those two all the time, so the amusement had worn away with time.

"Perhaps," Finn interrupted, preventing Nod from countering the insult, "someone should take Éabha to one of Bomba's cameras? I'm sure her cousin is worried about her."

"I can take her," Nod proposed immediately, partly because he wanted to see MK again.

"No," Ronin denied immediately. "You still have work you haven't finished. You're falling behind." Nod groaned and slouched at the mention of work. Ronin had been running him ragged, making him do something akin to chores for the Leafmen. Finn had assured him that it was Ronin's way of testing the young soldier, making sure he was dedicated and prepared. It was also the same thing that he went through before being promoted.

The thought of a promotion kept Nod mostly in line and prevented him from complaining too much.

"Finn, you stay with the Queen, make sure she doesn't go out alone again. I'll take her to talk with her cousin," Ronin continued, ignoring the young man beside him aside from a smack on the back to make him straighten his posture. Finn bowed his head before doing the same to Éabha, respectfully, and left to go and keep an eye on the Queen. Nod gave the girl one last wave and a farewell before he departed to get his bird and resume his chores. "This way," Ronin said to Éabha, his tone kinder than it had been with Nod.

She followed the tall man silently, approaching the saddled hummingbird that had a crest to match the one on Ronin's white coat and helmet. Realizing that she would have to get on, and off, of another saddle, Éabha's hands fisted shyly in her dress. "Uhm…you don't by chance know where I can get a pair of pants, do you?" she asked shyly, embarrassed about having to ask a man she did not know such a thing.

Ronin paused beside the bird to glance down at the skirt of Éabha's dress, realizing the woman's concern. "Not immediately on hand, no," he answered. "For now, it'd be best if you sit in front of me, side saddle."

"In front? Won't I get in your way?" she asked in concern. Sure, Nova had sat in front of Finn but she was considerably smaller than the grown Irishwoman.

"It should just be a quick flight there and back, unless we run into Boggans, which we didn't find any while out scouting," he explained, before he offered her a hand to help her up. Taking the help, Éabha slipped one sandal-clad foot into the stirrup and hoisted herself up onto the hummingbird, legs draped off the right side, and slipped up as far as the saddle allowed. She kept herself balanced carefully as Ronin pulled up behind her, adjusting himself in the saddle as he stepped into the stirrups.

He reached around Éabha to take hold of the reigns, but didn't spur the bird off the ground. One hand released the reigns to nudge her right leg.

"Turn your legs forward, you'll be more centered," he offered, letting her shift so that her legs were almost against the hummingbird's neck.

"That okay?" she asked, making sure that it wasn't interfering with him.

"Good," he answered, finally nudging the bird of the ground.

The quick takeoff caused Éabha to fall backward, unable to stop her body from landing against Ronin's. It took her a moment to right herself again, only able to pull away from him after the bird had evened out and was flying calmly toward one of Bomba's nearby cameras. Since he had never realized where Moonhaven was until MK was shrunken, it was a bit of a distance to get to the nearest one. She knew that Bomba was working on designing a new one so it was easier for MK to talk with Nod.

"Finn explained to us what happened," Ronin said after a few minutes of silence, drawing Éabha's attention away from where she had been watching the sunlight reflect off of the bird's beautiful feathers. "He said you were very sick."

"I was dying," she answered honestly. "No one knew what was wrong with me, but I was getting weaker every day. I came here, to Bomba's, because he and MK are the only family I have. I wanted my last months to be with my family." The resolution in her voice made Ronin's stomach tighten, hating that anyone had to be put through something like preparing for their own death. "I had no clue that the forest could feel my pain."

"Everything here is connected, from the tops of the canopy to the deepest roots. The forest wanted to save you; it connected with you and felt your pain." Glancing back at him, Ronin looked into her shocking green eyes, relieved to see that there was happiness and hope in them. She didn't think she was going to die anymore; she no longer had to accept that. "Are you prepared to join our society, though?" he asked a moment later, looking up to focus on avoiding the branches of the closer trees.

Humming in thought, Éabha distracted herself by watching Ronin's hands on the reigns; the green guards on his forearms making her wonder what material they were—they looked like leaves, but she highly doubted those would provide much protection. "I know I'll miss MK and Bomba, but I was already prepared to die, so at least this is giving me a second chance. One I never thought I would get."

Sitting behind her, Ronin took in the brilliant red of her hair, the braid that was beginning to loosen locks from what had probably been a neat, tight pattern. There were also tiny pieces of greenery stuck in some places; she probably didn't even realize they were there. He had the odd urge to pluck them from her hair, but he kept his hands steady on the reigns. The clench and relax of his hands didn't go unnoticed by Éabha. The only sound that surrounded them was the beat of the bird's winds and the wind as it passed them or through the leaves all around them.

"Will they accept me?" she asked suddenly, her voice carrying back to him on the wind.

Ronin blinked in surprise at the abrupt question before his gaze softened. She sounded so unsure and afraid. "Leafmen stand together. Whether you were born one of us or were turned with magic, you are a Leafman. And no one is alone among our people."


	4. The One Among Many

**The One Among Many**

Finally reaching the camera that Nod most frequently used to communicate with MK, positioned at the branch specifically for the Leafman to have somewhere to stand, Ronin perched the hummingbird as gently as possible, though still jostled Éabha back against his chest when the bird was left standing. Holding on carefully, Éabha gladly took Ronin's offered assistance from the saddle. It was definitely easier now that she didn't have to work on getting her legs on the same side, but she was relieved to know that someone was there to help make sure she didn't jump of and slip off the branch.

"Thank you," she breathed out nervously, trying not to think on the fact that she was about eight feet in the air; nearly 100 inches when comparing to her new height, and it was terrifying.

"Don't worry, I won't let you fall," he assured, sticking close to her just in case. The sensor on the camera beeped to life as they approached, the red light coming on. Ronin had seen how it worked before, seeing Nod when he spoke with MK, but he'd never really been there. Not close enough to see how everything worked.

Abruptly, the camera turned down to where they were standing and the screen flickered to life on the small device, MK's face appearing in a rush in front of the camera on her end. Knowing that she was probably panicking over everything, Éabha tried to smile in assurance to her younger cousin. "Oh my god, you're two inches tall!" she shouted through the camera, leaning in so close that Éabha could take in the speck of her eyes in detail.

"Hello, MK," Éabha greeted calmly, her hands linking behind her back.

MK didn't say anything further for a few seconds, her mouth gaping open as she tried to figure out what to say, or how to react. The younger girl's green eyes flicker to Ronin, who still stood close to her shoulder. He looked as serious as she remembered, but there was something about seeing him standing protectively behind her older cousin that made her pause. "Please, what is going on?" she finally asked, sounding very tired as her tense body sagged with relief at seeing her cousin okay and well.

"It was after you'd followed the bird and I was resting," Éabha began to explain, her voice as calm and soothing as always. Had he not seen it in her eyes or heard the brief worry in her voice, Ronin would think that the entire situation didn't faze her at all. "Queen Nova found me—the forest sensed my pain and called to her, apparently. She wanted to help me, but the only way to do that was to turn me into a Leafwoman."

MK blinked in shock, once more left without words. "Wait…help you…"

Éabha offered a broader smile. "I'm not sick anymore. She cured me."

" _What?!_ "

Mk's yell shrieked through the small speakers before the camera on her end tipped as she knocked it over, leaving her and Ronin to flinch at the loud sound, left to stare at the ceiling of Bomba's office. Éabha let out the softest laugh at her reaction, glancing back at Ronin's mildly surprised expression. "She took that better than I expected."

Ronin didn't have time to answer her before MK had righted the camera, her face appearing on the small screen. "You—you're—she—"

"Breathe, lass, breathe."

MK did as she was told, taking in a deep breath to calm her racing thoughts and heart. "So…the new Queen turned you into a Leafwoman and you're cured…but what now?"

Éabha, as calm as she appeared, felt her throat tighten with the struggle to come up with an answer. She didn't want to just come out and tell MK that she wasn't coming back, but she also didn't want to beat around the bush. "She must stay with us," Ronin answered for her, knowing that she was struggling to answer the younger redhead. "If she returns to her human form and size…the sickness will return." Éabha's shoulders dropped, partially in relief and partially in resignation.

MK's surprised expression softened and saddened, knowing that Ronin's blunt answer was truth. The cousin's looked to one another in silence, neither knowing what to say about the situation. Ronin felt somewhere awkward to be there, knowing that it should be a moment between family. "I'll let you two talk in private," he offered suddenly, looking from MK's grateful down to Éabha concerned eyes. "I won't be far. Please, don't fall off the branch."

A choked laugh bubbled up from Éabha's constricted chest, taking some of the burden off. "I promise; I'll be extra careful."

Nodding his head to both redheads, he turned to walk back to his hummingbird, just out of earshot but close enough that he could be there for her if he was needed. Watching the General walk away for a moment, Éabha truly appreciated him in that moment. For a guy, he was very perceptive toward situations. When she glanced back at MK, her young cousin seemed to have come to some understanding with her conflicting emotions. "Will you be happy there?" she asked first, leaning her elbows forward on the desk. Éabha could image the pose that the girl was sitting in inside her mind, having seen her when she was talking with Nod in a very similar position.

Answering her question, Éabha nodded calmly. "I think I will; only having been small for a short while, there already been so many amazing things. I will definitely be an adjustment of a lifetime, but at least I will survive that lifetime."

The teary smile she was wearing was matched by MK. Only a few days ago, she'd never even thought about the cousin she hadn't seen in years, but they had bonded and welcomed each other into their hearts as family, hoping to fill the void of losing their mothers, and for Éabha her father as well. She'd latched onto the dying woman, wanting to help save her but knowing that there was nothing she could do—nothing but to make her as happy and comfortable as possible. It was because of this that she felt so bad when realizing she'd been rushing through the woods with Éabha slowly getting worse.

"I was so scared when I came back and you weren't there," MK confessed quietly, looking down at the keyboard in front of her hands, avoiding the camera. "I first thought a Boggan got to you, actually," she continued a bit more bashfully, "but when I realized that it was a lot harder for them to hurt you full sized, I figured you'd gone back to the house."

"I'm so sorry you had to go through that, MK." The girl looked up into the camera again, her lips lifted in the faintest smile, assuring Éabha silently that she didn't blame her. A sudden thought came to Éabha and her eyes widened in worry again. "What about Uncle Bomba?" she blurted out. Immediately, MK winced as well and the smile disappeared.

"Probably not gunna be home for a while yet—I doubt you'll want to wait on that branch until he gets here."

"But you shouldn't have to be the one to tell him-"

"Don't worry, this is dad we're talking about. He'll just be happy that you're alive," MK assured, amusement dancing in her eyes, "and if anything he'll be a little jealous. And the most excited."

Éabha laughed as she pictured Bomba's reaction, wishing that she could be there when he found out. This would be the second person in his family to be shrunken down to live among the Jinn and Leafmen. And he'd been having so much trouble proving their existence, too. "I don't know about him being the _most_ excited; you haven't seen Queen Nova's reaction. I forgot how hyper kids got."

The two sobered up after their shared laugh, the sadness disappearing from their faces. "We'll still be here for you, Éabha. I'm just happy that you'll be alright. Everything else will come in time," MK assured, sounding wise beyond her years. Her eyes flicked up, over Éabha, to where Ronin was standing with his bird. She'd noticed how close he stood to Éabha, protective and cautious. She liked Ronin, he was a good man and MK was glad to have met him. She knew that he would help Éabha as much as he could.

"I'll try and come by again soon, hopefully Bomba will be home. Wish him well for me?"

"Of course!"

After exchanging their farewells, MK turned off the camera and the screen in front of Éabha went black. Sighing softly as she looked at herself, reflected against the surface of the glass, Éabha wasn't sure what to do with herself after that moment. What would she do? This wasn't her world, how could she possibly think to contribute to it. She was just a simple musician, of instruments that may not even exist here.

"Hey." Ronin approached slowly, stepping up beside her as she continued to stare down at the screen with badly concealed uncertainty. "She seemed to handle it well. What's wrong?" Standing where he was, he hadn't heard what was being said, but they'd laughed and smiled, parting on good terms, so why was she upset?

Her reflection on the screen was pinched, a mixture of anxiety and uncertainty. "What will I do?" she mumbled finally, meeting his eyes in the reflection before properly turning to look at him. His eyes were the brightest blue she had ever seen. No human had eyes of such intense hue. It made sense; Leafmen were humanoid, they look similar to them but were different in many ways. "As a human, I was a musician, but when I got sick I stopped playing beside as a hobby. What could I possibly offer you all?"

Now he could understand. "We'll think of something. It's not like we don't have music—I'm sure Nim Galuu will be more than happy to meet you." Having heard from MK about Nim and what happened at the tree, she could understand what Ronin meant. "And if that's not what you want to be doing here, we can always try for something else. This is a new life for you; you don't have to be the exact same person you were before you got sick."

The assurance was surprisingly effective, clearing her thoughts enough that she realized he was right. She didn't need to be the exact same person. Things were different, she could be different, too. It wasn't as though she'd never had other interests; music was her passion, but it didn't need to be her life. Smiling at the clarity, she bowed her head somewhat shyly to Ronin. She hoped that her uncertainty hadn't changed his views on her.

"Thank you. I needed to hear that."

Ronin gave his own smile, that same quirk at corner of his lips, before he motioned over to his bird. "We should get back before Queen Nova thinks I've stolen you away. She's quite attached."

Returning to the bird, Ronin helped her up onto the saddle again. This time, she knew the correct way to sit and waited for him to get situated behind her. The bird shifted as he hoisted himself gracefully into the saddle, adjusting to their weight, and waited in preparation for Ronin's signal to fly. Again, he reached around her to take hold of the reigns, his arms circling Éabha's thin frame, before they were air-born. And again, Éabha was jerked back against his chest at the sudden take off.

"Sorry," she blurted out before she could think to stop herself, pulling herself up so she wasn't leaning against him anymore.

"Don't worry about it. It's better than you falling off," he assured immediately, the soft thrum of his Irish accent calming for Éabha. It was almost like a taste of home after being away for so long. She briefly wondered how someone of the Leafmen could have a foreign accent, but figured that it was something like a result of his family line. That would also explain why his was dulled down in comparison to hers.

"I didn't get the chance to say so earlier, but thank you for helping MK when she was here," Éabha spoke up, remembering the story MK had told her. If it hadn't been for Ronin sacrificing himself, Nod and MK probably wouldn't have made it back to Moonhaven with the pod. "It's hard to imagine that I almost lost my baby cousin a year ago without even knowing."

"She was very brave, and took the whole thing pretty well, all things considered. She put the safety of that pod before her own, and all the Leafmen and Jinn are forever grateful to her. Human or Leafman, she'll always be welcomed as one of us." Glancing back at the man with a smile brightening her eyes, Éabha was warmed to hear someone talk about her cousin in such high esteem. "You don't have to worry about being accepted here; the Jinn are very kind, and the Leafmen are only concerned about those who threaten the Queen or the forest."

"I owe the Queen my life. It's a debt I'll never be able to repay, but I will do all I can for her." And that was the truth. What it was that she ended up doing in this new world, she only hoped that Nova, if ever she needed her, was able to ask her for help.

"You could join the Leafmen," Ronin suggested, sounding completely serious. "Help to protect the Queen." Éabha turned slightly in the saddle to give him a look before her eyes flicked down to the sword at his left side, the hilt visible past his white coat, then looked up into his eyes again. An exasperated look adorned her face and Ronin fought a smile at the sight of it. "I said _could._ "

Feeling her balance wavering, Éabha turned forward again. "I think I'd hurt myself and everyone around me if I tried to learn how to fight with a sword."

"You could fight by other means. Perhaps learning the bow, or hand-to-hand."

In truth, Éabha was worried that she would be too weak. The Queen may have cured her illness, but it had been so long since she'd had actual strength that she was worried she would try and do something strenuous and find her muscles permanently weakened from the ordeal. The strongest thing about her had always been her stamina—performing had been the cause of that. And then her arms, which were firm from wielding the violin and needing to hold up to the long songs she'd played.

After a minute of pondering, she finally mumbled "maybe," before she continued to stare off in thought.

Ronin understood her distraction and let the conversation taper off, glancing around them quickly. He didn't like the news of a Boggan possibly being so close to the Queen. If it had attacked Éabha and MK before the Queen found the sick woman, she could have been in danger as well. Leaning carefully to the right as he turned his bird to round a tree, he was surprised when Éabha knew enough to lean with him. It definitely made his job easier to control the hummingbird with her cooperation.

Glancing back over his shoulder, Ronin just barely caught the sight of the black bird in the distance, darting through the canopy of leaves above their heads. " _Down!_ " he ordered suddenly, leaning forward so that his chest pressed to Éabha's back, pressing the woman against the neck of the hummingbird as he quickly guided them lower, toward the underbrush for cover.

MK may only know enough to assume that a crow meant a Boggan, but he knew that was exactly what it meant. The only time a crow ventured into their forest was when it was because of a Boggan rider.

Éabha felt her heart lurch in her chest as the sudden command, Ronin's voice kept low but holding such seriousness and authority that she immediately obeyed. The green armor that he was wearing was hard against her back as he pressed into her, the bird nose-diving for the ground. She barely even had time to be afraid they were going to plummet right into the dirt and roots before Ronin had pulled up on the reigns again, straightening them out in time for the bird to make a perfect landing amongst the cover of plants.

For a long moment, it was completely silent around them. The most she could hear was the hammering of her heart in her ears. Then, Ronin's voice sounded just behind her ear. "Stay quiet."

Nodding silently, Éabha did nothing more than stare forward at the top of the hummingbird's head, refusing to even let the material of her dress shift. Ronin had let up slightly, but he was still keeping her leaned down just in case. With her legs tucked to the side, it was slightly awkward, but she'd been put through worse for her performances. She didn't even know what it was that had him doing this, but she could only assume he had spotted a Boggan.

Ronin shifted carefully behind her, the hard armor leaving Éabha's back to be replaced with a warm, reassuring hand. She blushed at the sudden contact, thankful for the sweater she had put on to cover her exposed back, but remained silent and still. When there was no further sign of the Boggan, Ronin was sure it hadn't followed them. "Keep low," he told her in a quiet tone, once more getting a nod.

"Was it a Boggan?" she asked quietly, almost too quiet, since Ronin nearly missed the question.

"Yes," he affirmed grimly. "I had to be sure it wasn't trying to follow us or take us by surprise. It's gone now."

"Could it be the same one that went after me and MK?"

When she turned to glance at him, Ronin couldn't help but to look at the bright red line that stood out on her pale cheek. It was a good thing they had run into the Boggan when they were too big for it to hurt them, but the crow had gotten too close to them for his liking. "Possibly. We do know there are a couple of groups that stayed nearby, hidden. But they're getting daring lately."

There was a fatigue in his tone that Éabha had heard before, from battle-weary soldiers that she had done donation concerts for. Glancing forward again, she held onto the saddle a bit tighter. This man was tired, she could see it easily, but hearing it in his words made her worry. He had lost a dear friend when Tara died, and had given everything to make sure that the pod was safe. He was entirely prepared to die for the sake of the forest, and to make sure that Tara's death was not in vain.

Thankfully, the Boggan didn't make any reappearance, and they returned to Moonhaven quickly enough. The crowd that had collected had somewhat dispersed, but a few of the Jinn remained around the pond, watching as she and Ronin approached. Flying above the pond, Éabha was tempted to reach down to try and touch the water, but she didn't dare take the chance of falling from the bird. A few other Leafmen remained at the entrance, one of them stepping up to take the reins from Ronin and allow him to dismount.

The young Leafman, probably a rookie, was staring at Éabha in shock. Clearly, he hadn't been there earlier when the Queen had first exuberantly been introducing her. Ronin noticed the signs of a crush immediately—the young man was staring at her with a faint blush on his cheeks, seeming caught between hiding from the beautiful woman and trying to get her to notice him. It made the General want to roll his eyes.

This kid had a lot of growing up to do.

Offering Éabha his hand, Ronin could tell she had probably noticed as well and was shifting uncomfortably, and decided to give her a reprieve and escort her inside himself. "Care for the bird," he ordered the Leafman-in-training as he gently helped Éabha hop down, her skirts swirling around her legs as she smoothed down the material. The young Leafman jumped at Ronin's voice, seemingly having forgotten that he was even there, but quickly saluted and stepped aside to let them pass, almost hitting his head on the long beak of the bird. "I'll be back out shortly."

Guiding Éabha toward the entrance, he heard her huff softly in relief.

"I think he's smitten with you," Ronin teased just slightly, leaning to her level ever so slightly.

"Oh, don't you start," Éabha scolded, but there was mirth in her voice and her lips were threatening to turn up on a smile. It ruined the affect she was trying to portray—annoyed and scolding—and only made Ronin want to tease her further.


	5. When the Wind Whispers

**When the Wind Whispers**

With everything that had been happening. Éabha hadn't even thought about where she was going to sleep that night. Thankfully, someone else had, and she was now sitting on the windowsill of the room she was given in the Queen's palace. The palace itself was composed of different sections—some were below ground, some were forged in the rock of Moonhaven, and others were in the trees that surrounded it. She was presently in one of the trees, the smell of oak strong around her. Night was just descending on Moonhaven and she would see the twinkle of stars above, mirrors in the symphony of fireflies that littered the spaces between the trees. It was such an amazing sight that Éabha doubted she could ever tire of looking at it. The way the moon and stars reflected off the water of the pond, the sounds of the animals as they woke up for the night.

And she wasn't tired.

She didn't remember the last time she had gone a whole day and not finding herself dragging her body into bed before the sun had even settled over the horizon. It was so strange, and invigorating. She wanted to be up and about, but at the same time she was fighting against her routine that had been formed over several years.

A knock on the door to her room interrupted her inner turmoil, causing her to jump. She hadn't expected anyone to come to her. "Come in," she called after a moment, wondering who could be on the other side.

The beautifully crafted wooden door opened to reveal Ronin, still dressed in full armor. After he had escorted her to the Queen, he had gone off with Finn to discuss other matters—probably about the Boggan that he had spotted earlier that evening. Éabha had spent some time with Astra, Nova's mother—a daisy Jinn—and the mother had confessed that Nova had been getting quite stressed about her job as Queen until she had arrived back with Éabha. It seemed that the human woman had brought a sense of purpose to the Queen that she had been lacking before. Queen Tara had saved the forest already, and it left Nova with some kind of inferiority complex to her predecessor and idol.

"General Ronin?" Éabha blurted out in surprise, rising from her perch on the sill to turn and face him fully. "I…wasn't expecting to see anyone. Is anything wrong?"

"No, everything's fine," he assured. He was standing in his customary sturdy stance, with one hand resting on the sword at his left hip—the other was raised in a gesture of assurance and compliance, showing he meant only the truth. "I figured that everything you've been through might be…overwhelming," he began, trying to find the correct world as he stepped into the room. "I wanted to come and check on you, and make sure you were settling well."

Éabha's cheeks warmed shyly at his kindness, the serene smile that he had seen her wear when with the Queen returning to her expression. "Thank you, General Ronin. You're very kind."

He seemed to wince uncomfortably at the formal title. "Please, just Ronin. General sounds too official when coming from you." Since she wasn't a soldier, it made sense. She couldn't quite count herself into his social circle and be able to call him his name on friendly terms, but she would take this offer while it was available.

"Alright, Ronin," she agreed, her smile brightening a bit more as her eyes danced with so many emotions. "Thank you for coming to visit me. There aren't many people here that I can say I know in any way. Having heard about you from MK, it helps to think that there is someone here who isn't entirely unfamiliar." She paced forward as she explained, the soft material of her skirts getting twisted and bunched in her hands. It seemed she had reacquired the nervous habit—she thought she'd gotten rid of it years ago.

Ronin didn't move from just inside the doorway, but he did relax his stance somewhat so that his hand wasn't resting on his sword anymore. "If you ever need anything, you can always come to me, or to Finn." The General paused a moment as his expression turned to a mix of hardened thought and concern. "I was actually surprised when he told me that you were still awake. After the day you've had, I would have expected you to be tired enough to fall right into bed."

Having only been just thinking on the same matter, Éabha gave a soft laugh as she finally released the skirt of her dress and moved over to sit on the edge of the bed. This way she was closer to Ronin as they spoke and wasn't standing awkwardly in the center of the room. "I'm surprised I'm not, actually. While I was sick, my body would be exhausted by sundown every day, without fail. But now…I don't feel tired. I don't want to go to sleep. Not yet."

Having confessed that, Éabha glanced down at her lap. Her dress was slightly dirty from all of the excursions of the day, and there was a small tear or two around the hem, but Queen Nova assured her that she would have something to change into. There was a small bundle by the pillows of her bed, actually, that she assumed was something to sleep in. The view outside of her window had caught her attention before she'd even thought to open it.

Ronin studied the woman before him for a moment. He could see that she was tired, at least her body was showing signs of it, but her mind was completely awake and active, probably preventing her from actually feeling what her body needed. It wasn't all that surprising, really. She'd had a lot go on in one day. But there was something else there. It was in the unsure way she was sitting, the faint frown that drew her brows downward and creased between them. He didn't like the troubled look on her face; she had the expression of someone who always seemed to be calm or smiling, a frown was out of place on her.

Thinking on what she had just said, it occurred to him that this was the first moment that she'd had to really stop and think about her situation. "Éabha," he called softly, drawing her emerald eyes up to him. "Why don't you want to go to sleep?"

The redhead swallowed as she glanced away from him, toward the window so she didn't have to look at the strong, imposing man before her. It shamed her slightly to admit, but she spoke up, "I'm afraid."

Even at the simple mention of fear, Ronin tensed up. "What are you afraid of?"

Éabha's eyes remained trained on the window, the faint glow of sunset's last rays reaching them through the trees. It made her hair look as though it was glowing, like soft embers of a fire. "I'm afraid that if I go to sleep, all of this will have been a dream when I wake up." Ronin's shoulders dropped at the confession, realizing dawning as he looked at her sorrowful expression, staring at the outside world longingly. "I don't want to open my eyes and find myself back in Bomba's home, weak and-"

 _Dying._

Ronin stepped up to where Éabha was sitting and took her hands in a gentle, but strong hold. She looked at him in shock as he bent to one knee in front of her, holding onto her hands as he looked into her eyes. There was a glistening shine to them, telling him that she was fighting the urge to cry. She feared that she would have been given this taste of freedom, only to have it taken away from her. "This isn't a dream, Éabha. You are here, in Moonhaven, safe and healthy." Her hands tightened in his at the word 'healthy', but Ronin persisted. "Queen Nova adores you, my Leafmen are smitten with you," this one drew a small, tearful laugh from her, "and your family couldn't be happier to have you safe. When you wake in the morning, you will still be here, with us, in Moonhaven."

The tenseness of her hands released, her body relaxing more than he had seen since he'd first caught sight of her with Finn. Closing her eyes as she took in his assurances, his silent promises, the collected tears spilled out in two pristine drops of liquid, no more to follow. Then she was ducking down, her hands pulling from his, to take his jaw gently and press a thankful kiss against his forehead. If that wasn't startling enough for the General, she then wrapped her arms around his neck to embrace him tightly.

"Thank you, Ronin," she whispered quietly but her words were clear as day so close to his ear.

He was frozen for a moment, not expecting her physical reaction, before he gently placed his hands at her back in a lose return of the embrace. "You're welcome, Éabha." The touch on her back seemed to relax her further, her body lax against his, and Ronin instinctively held her tighter to keep her safe.

Éabha was the one to pull away, shyly pulling her arms up against her chest as she looked down to her lap once more. She hadn't meant to hold onto him so tightly, or to lean against him as she had, but there was something comforting about his presence. She really did feel safe with him. Ronin rose up to his full height again, his hand naturally falling to rest on his sword. It was a wonder what he would do if he didn't have that thing with him.

"Get some rest," Ronin ordered softly, waiting for Éabha's soft green eyes to look up at him. "I'll be by to see you in the morning."

She wondered whether his promise was for the sake of comforting her, assuring her that she would wake in Moonhaven, or giving her a heads-up of his arrival. However, she only nodded her head with a small smile of gratitude for whichever it may be. "Goodnight, Ronin."

Ronin bid her one more farewell at the door before Éabha was alone again, the silence of her room pressing in on her. Glancing back to the window, the sky had darkened from a golden-orange hue to a deep purplish-red. Rising from the bed, she turned to the package that she had been given earlier. It was better to try going to sleep now than to attempt to avoid the inevitable.

A large leaf was what bound the clothing inside, a thin, sturdy vine wrapped around the leaf to keep it closed. The material of the clothing was soft to the touch, almost like silk, and Éabha picked it up with the greatest care. Holding onto the collar, she lifted the material up to eye level to take in the article. It was a dress, the skirt cascading down until she knew it would reach her ankles, with wispy designs that appeared to naturally flow through the fabric, like mist in the early morning.

It was a beautiful dress, and she found herself reluctant to put it on. She didn't want to crease or damage it. However, she also knew that her dress was not one to be worn to bed—she would never be able to get comfortable with the straps tied behind her neck and the tight waist the kept the back in place.

Draping the new dress over the edge of the bed, the redhead pulled off her thin sweater and folded it neatly to put side, soon tugging her dress over her head as well. The chill that naturally came with the night drew a faint shiver from her, her hands quickly reaching for the silky nightgown. Pulling it over her head and letting the material fall, she gasped at the sensation of it rippling across her flesh—it was like nothing she had felt before. She had to ask what it was made of, though she imaged that it was expensive—which also made her wonder about currency in this new world.

"Oh, I have to stop that," she mumbled, her hands covering her face tiredly. Her thoughts constantly led to new things and left her with more and more worries. She needed to just let the chips fall as they may. If she had any questions, she knew there were many who were happy to answer them, so she would just have to stop letting her mind get so caught up in what she couldn't hope to figure out on her own.

She would need to depend on people much more than she was accustomed to.

Folding her dress and placing both it and the sweater inside the leaf that had contained what she wore now, Éabha placed it to the side on what appeared to be a small desk which seemed to be made of a protruding root that had a flattened surface, smoothed and clear. Flattening her palm on the wood, she ran her palm along it gently.

This world was so amazing.

Smiling to herself, Éabha stepped away from the desk while lifting the skirt of her new dress so as not to step on or trip over the hem. The room continued to darken as night closed in, the Jinn and Leafmen and women going to sleep for the night. Éabha found herself hoping that Ronin didn't live too far, the man had looked tired as well and she wished him an early and peaceful night.

And then there was MK and Bomba—how had Bomba taken the news? Was he happy for her? Was the news keeping him up at night now?

Knowing she had let her thoughts go again, Éabha sighed and quickly pulled back the sheets to the bed before she was tempted to go wander to the window again. If she was going to be staying among the Leafmen, she didn't need to try and absorb the views like she desperately wanted. She had time. Which was something that was going to take some adjusting—having time? That was new.

The bed was surprisingly comfortable, the blankets warm and soft, and Éabha found herself sinking in amongst the warmth and comfort eagerly. The open window allowed the sounds of the forest to drift into the space; cricket song and hushed wind lulled her chaotic mind to a relaxed state.

Before she was fully aware of her own fatigue, Éabha had drifted softly to sleep.

 _The wind shook the leaves on their sturdy stems, rattling them together to create a unique, whispering hush that travelled throughout the forest like an echo. Éabha looked up from where she stood, standing tall among the greenery. The ferns around her legs tickled the bared skin of her ankles, with cool, moist dirt beneath her feet. Keen green eyes turned from the canopy above to inspect the surrounding trees. The world appeared to glow with life: the tree bark, the leaves and roots, all the clustered underbrush. There wasn't a thing around her that didn't beat and breathe with life._

 _Leaning down to trace the tips of her fingers over the top of a fern, the delicate plant curled at her touch before unfurling again. Éabha smiled as the plant curled around her fingers, as though to return her touch welcomingly._

 _Gently pulling away, she turned to the nearest tree to place her hand on the bark. It was warm against her palm, coarse with its protective shell, and almost seemed to pulse beneath her touch. When she lifted her hand, the bark glowed with her handprint faintly. She marvelled at the sight of it and watched as it slowly faded away, as though the tree was absorbing the life she offered to it._

 _The happy, whistling song of birds joined the hush of the wind through the leaves and Éabha looked up again to try and locate the small animals. The sunlight was almost blinding through the canopy of leaves, preventing her from seeing clearly against the brilliant light. Her feet were moving before she had consciously made the decision, carrying her through the foliage and deeper into the forest. The various plants across the ground seemed to sway and stretch as she was passing, tickling her legs and fingertips as she hurried through._

 _There was…something. Something that was calling her._

 _Picking up the pace, Éabha was soon running. Her bare feet dug into the dirt as she propelled herself forward, arms pumping in pace with her stride. The forest was a blur around her, passing by as she followed that feeling. Her chest was growing tight, almost painfully, as she raced onward. The foliage around her seemed to constrict suddenly, vines and trees closing in, greenery winding around her legs in an attempt to slow her. To stop her from going any further._

Don't go

 _Stopping abruptly with her chest heaving for air, Éabha turned steadily to look all around herself, tying to follow the whisper._

It's not safe

 _Again, the plants wound around her calves. A thick root snaked up from within the soil, coiling her ankle and anchoring her in place. Looking from the left to the right, unable to turn more than her torso, Éabha couldn't locate the direction she had originally been running toward. The pull was gone, leaving her with a lost, uncertain feeling. The ferns stretched up and caressed the tips of her fingers, trying to offer comfort as she anxiously glanced from one direction to the other._

"Éabha!"

A sudden weight landing on her body threw her back into the waking world so abruptly she jolted up with a gasp. Then the familiar giggle of Queen Nova drew her to look down, where the young Queen had been knocked back from Éabha's sudden lift. "You scared me," Éabha sighed softly, smiling gently so as not to concern the young Queen. The dream she had been woken from still buzzed in the back of her mind, the constricted feeling of her chest a haunting memory.

"Good morning!" Nova greeted, lunging forward to wrap her arms around the redhead in a tight hug. Her happiness was infectious and Éabha laughed at her antics as she returned the embrace immediately. "Did you sleep well?"

"Yes, I did. Thank you for such a beautiful room," Éabha answered, letting Nova pull back so she could look into the woman's bright eyes. "Did you sleep well?"

"Yea! I woke up extra early to come and see you—let's have breakfast together!"

Éabha had always loved kids—there was an excitable innocence that they carried with them everywhere, spreading their happiness to others with something as simple as a smile. Nova was no different. Astra had noticed that she was somewhat stressed about her new role as Queen, but all it took was a purpose to help her overcome that hurdle. From the moment Éabha had met her, the child was excited and happy, overwhelmingly so in some cases.

"I hope you didn't go and ditch your guards again," Éabha teased as she freed her legs from the blanket, snatching up the marigold jinn as soon as she was able. Nova shrieked in laughter when Éabha's hands came in contact with her sides, tickling her. The bright bloom of a blush at Nova's cheeks warmed Éabha's heart, seeing her to happy and healthy. In a moment of silence, Éabha's stomach decided to remind her that it was morning and she hadn't eaten in almost a day—the loud grumbling that issued from her abdomen made her blush.

Nova just laughed, however, as she hopped out of Éabha's arms before turning to snatch her hand to better drag her behind her.

"Come on!"

Éabha opened her mouth to protest, still wearing her nightgown from the night before, but someone else beat her to it.

Astra, Nova's mother, was already standing in the doorway to intercept her daughter. "Nova, perhaps you should let her dress before you parade her all over the palace?" she suggested calmly. The smile that she wore was a more subdued version of her daughters, motherly and patient. She was carrying another bundle in her arms, appearing similar to the one that Éabha had been given the night before, only slightly larger. "Here; I believed that you would prefer to wear something clean today, instead of your clothing from yesterday."

Éabha smiled at the thoughtfulness and reached out to take the offered bundle. "Yes, thank you."

"They are…a bit different than your clothing," Astra began to explain, watching as Éabha undid the bundle and pulled out what appeared to be a pair of pants, but the fabric was so soft and there were clasps along the legs that she wasn't sure the purpose for. "Would you like a hand?"

Éabha blushed as she looked up from the clothing, sheepish of her ignorance. "That would be most welcome."

Nova sat at the edge of Éabha's bed, excitedly telling Éabha and her mother about a dream she had the night before; she had been a fierce warrior Leafwoman, fighting the Boggans to help protect Queen Tara. Éabha made sure to listen and answer Nova whenever she posed a question, but she was also keenly aware of everything that Astra was doing as she helped her dress. She didn't want to have to ask someone for assistance in the future. The outfit wasn't quite that of the Leafmen she had met the day before, but it was something like a mix between a formal, feminine outfit and the modest comfort of the Leafmen garb. The pants that she was wearing came to her ankles and met with sandals that she could only compare to that of Roman gladiators. The metal decorations that she had assumed were buckles were only décor that accented her hips. They were tight and easy to move in, like the pants she had seen the Leafmen in.

The shirt was a bit more daring. The high collar wrapped around her throat, but opened in a diamond shape at her chest, revealing her collar bone and the barest hint of her breasts. It was also halter-style, much like her dress the day before, that left her back exposed all the way down to mid-back, where it was tight at the waist before flowing out—the front only reached to just past her pant-line, but it had a high-low effect so the back of the shirt was similar to a dress, reaching almost to the backs of her knees in cascades of green.

"You look awesome!" Nova complimented in her same exuberant manner. Éabha smiled at the praise and bowed to the young Queen dramatically. Astra stepped back to admire her work. The soft green was the same as the armor that the Leafmen wore, but it suited so well with Éabha's pale skin—the colour looked all the more vibrant because of it. She had also brushed out the woman's hair before pinning it at the top of her head in a loose bun that left curls of red falling all around her neck and shoulders.

"Come on then, we'll be late for breakfast," Astra interjected, watching her daughter and the newcomer bow and curtsy exaggeratedly to one another. Éabha was great with children, it seemed.

 **I'm glad people have been enjoying this story so far! I've wanted to write this for a while and now that I have some free time I figured I should at least start it off. Thank you to everyone for their follows/favourites/reviews!**


	6. Price of Living

**Price of Living**

Ronin had pulled a couple of his most trusted Leafmen aside with orders to begin searching around Moonhaven. They needed to deal with this Boggan issue sooner rather than later. They weren't strong yet and the Leafmen could handle them without a battle at this point. In a large show of trust and faith, Ronin assigned Nod a team to direct and search the North-East edge. The kid was of course almost tripping over himself to assure Ronin that he wouldn't let him down, but Ronin knew that when it came down to the wire he would do what was right. Nod could come off as a bit of an idiot at times, but he was smart.

Now, walking with Finn, he felt edgy to be getting out with his team. "Relax, Ronin, they can handle a handful of Boggans. We've only actually seen…what? Five? That's hardly too much for teams of four."

Ronin sighed faintly as he walked alongside his friend, pushing aside the odd desire to slouch his shoulders. "I know they can handle it, it just…"

"You have problems letting someone else take control," Finn answered for him, getting a sarcastic scowl back from the slightly older man. He only laughed, however, shaking his head and turning forward again. "On another note, I don't think you'll have to worry about Queen Nova sneaking away again. At least not so long as Éabha's in the vicinity."

The amusement in the younger man's voice caused Ronin to raise an inquisitive eyebrow at him.

"She got up extra early because she wanted to have breakfast with Éabha—her mother tried to hold her off as long as she could, but I'm pretty sure she went and woke the poor woman up," his right-hand explained easily. Secretly, he was relieved that he had been called away and didn't have to be there to try and hold Nova back—that girl's persistence knew no bounds.

At first, Ronin looked amused as well, knowing how the Queen was as well, before the look dulled slightly as he thought. Of course, that didn't go over Finn's head.

"What's wrong?"

Ronin didn't answer immediately, though he opened his mouth to do so, and instead wondered whether it was his right to tell Finn about Éabha's worries. She didn't seem to mind telling him, after a bit of persuasion, and Finn appeared to care for the newcomer. "I went to check on her last night after I spoke with you. She confessed that she was afraid to go to sleep—she feared that this was all going to have been a dream, and she would wake up with her sickness."

The two men stopped walking to face one another, wearing matching expressions of seriousness and concern. Ronin's was slightly less noticeable, but Finn knew the look well. "I can understand her fear—she didn't want to taste freedom and end up with it snatched away."

"Exactly," Ronin agreed, tiredly rubbing at his eyes with one hand—the other, as usual, was resting on his sword. "The only time I've ever seen a fear like that in someone's eyes was on the battlefield—she's not even a soldier and she knew the terror that we've faced."

"She's a strong woman," Finn remarked, studying his friend's expression. There was something…. "It's amazing how calm and kind she is. Many who are faced with death grow bitter."

"The forest wanted to save her. There must be something unique about her," he thought aloud, having been thinking on that since Nova's loud explanation for Éabha's arrival to their world.

"Other than snatching up the attention of all who meet her?" Finn jested, beginning to walk again. "I heard some of the younger Leafmen raving about the new 'maiden of the palace'. Some assume she's like MK, a stomper shrunken down, but others think she's some kind of sprite from the forest."

Ronin chuckled before he could stop the sound, shaking his head at the thought of Éabha as a sprite. She was definitely beautiful and had a mysterious air around her to draw forth those sorts of rumours, but he had learned about sprites when he was young. They were one with the forest, more so than the Queen, and appeared more like jinn than Leafmen.

"I'll have to keep her away from the trainees; they'll get distracted and fall off their birds."

Their conversation was interrupted by the unmistakable voice of their Queen—how was someone so small able to produce such volume? They were nearing the back gardens, where Nova loved to spend her time as she learned to develop her new abilities and magic over the forest. Entering the archway composed of weaving tree roots, both men halted in surprise.

Nova was sitting on a vine that she had magically curled around herself, lifting up so that she was slightly taller than Éabha, who was standing in the center of the garden. A bright white butterfly was perched on her arm, dusty wings flapping slowly as she stared at it in amazement. It was strange to see her in the clothing of the Leafmen, knowing she was not born of their world, but the attire suited her. Nova was happily placing white flowers in Éabha's hair, clustered up atop her head but still pouring down around her neck and shoulders, while the woman was distracted.

Okay, _now_ he could understand the sprite comment.

"Good morning, Highness. Miss Éabha." Finn was the one to great the two women, but both he and Ronin bowed to one knee respectfully. Nova immediately complained about the bowing, tossing flowers at the two. Éabha couldn't help but to erupt into laughter, trying to smother them into giggles, as she watched the small white flora fall into the men's hair and cluster on their shoulders.

"You know they're just being respectful," Éabha said to Nova calmly, watching as the Queen lowered herself down from her vine until she was back on her feet. Ronin and Finn both stood up again, brushing the white flowers off their heads and shoulders. "Good morning Ronin, Finn." The butterfly took off from Éabha's arm, the sunlight catching the brilliant white of its wings.

"A good morning, Éabha?" Ronin asked discretely, watching her smile grow as she recognized the discrete check he was doing.

"Wonderful," she answered immediately, approaching him calmly. At first he wondered if she was going to hug him again, but she only reached up near his ear and plucked a fallen flower petal from his hair. Her eyes shown with amusement as she pulled away again, blowing the petal off of her palm to let it flutter on the breeze. "I hope you slept well."

Finn watched the interaction between the two with a growing curiosity. He'd never seen Ronin welcome someone's touch—with the exception of Tara. When she's stepped up to him, his General had leaned ever so slightly forward in some kind of anticipation; he doubted even Ronin was entirely aware of what he had done. Éabha was a gentle person, he could tell already, but she seemed to treat Ronin with a special type of tenderness.

"I think Éabha should go and see Nim," Nova stated abruptly, appearing behind Éabha after nearly bowling into the young woman. "There might be something he knows about why she's here!"

"We had a similar thought," Finn answered the child first. "He may have the answers to why the forest wanted so save you so desperately."

"Any answer he has I would be grateful for, though I understand if there is nothing he could give," Éabha accepted graciously, nodding her head in gratitude. Nova cheered in excitement, delighted at the thought of getting to go to Nim's Tree, and immediately latched onto Éabha's hand.

"Come on! Let's go now!"

"Nova," Astra warned softly, giving her daughter a look of reprimand at the way she was tugging on the newly-turned Leafwoman's arm. "We must send word to him first, to be sure he is able to see her. And _you_ still have lessons today."

" _Aww_ mom!"

Éabha couldn't help but to smile at the antics of the young Queen, squeezing the hand that was still grasping her own as the young Marigold pouted to her mother. "Please, Nova, you can't put everything aside just because I'm here," Éabha included, drawing that pout in her direction. "Go about your lessons, and then we'll see if we can go to Nim, alright?"

The young Jinn continued to pout, but she nodded her ascent to Éabha and her mother. Parting from the red haired woman, she let her mother guide her from the garden and into the palace for her daily lessons. Thankfully, the lessons themselves weren't too long or boring—at least not all of them—but she couldn't help but wonder what Éabha would be doing through the day.

"You are very good with her," Finn commented with a smile before he bowed to her, nodding to Ronin as well, and left to follow the Queen. Even though she was in the palace, he was her guard and was required to stay at her side.

"He's right," Ronin added calmly. "I don't think anyone can get the young Queen to listen except for her mother. She's much too..."

"Excitable?" Éabha offered, smiling at his pause before he nodded in agreement. "I've always loved children. They're so full of life and innocence, it's refreshing to be around them. My life before was always quite sad, even before I knew I was sick. In my field of study and work, it was very competitive and only the best were given jobs in high places, so I wasn't liked much by my peers."

Ronin's brows pinched down, disliking the mental image that came to mind of people shunning the beautiful redhead for her talent alone. "Simply because you were better?"

"Jealousy is an ugly thing," she answered quietly, her smile fading as her eyes seemed to shift, showing her mind was drifting into her memories. Thankfully, she pulled herself out before Ronin even tried to speak, shaking it off and offering a smile. "My family was always supportive, however, and I knew who to hold true to my heart when it came down to it."

"Nim has a…preference for music. I don't know if it's what you're used to, but it may be something to look into when we visit." The offer immediately brightened her mood, a smile blooming across her features that soothed the tenseness that had come to Ronin's frame. "However, until then, I figured you would wish to speak with your uncle. Are you up for another ride?"

"Well, at least this time I have trousers," Éabha teased, gesturing down to her new outfit before she clasped her hands somewhat bashfully behind her. "I have so many questions about this place, everything makes me curious. I have no idea what these clothes are made out of, but they are amazing."

Remembering Éabha's question the previous day about having trousers on hand brought a faint smile to Ronin's features, softening them, before he nodded to her. "I cannot guarantee that I will know everything, but I can answer what questions you have to the best of my ability."

The emerald of her eyes brightened with her smile. "Thank you, Ronin."

"Come, if we leave now we may escape Queen Nova's wrath of leaving without her again," he offered, extending an arm out to allow her to leave first. Éabha smothered her laughter but she nodded in agreement and quickly ascended the steps out of the garden, the soft tunic she was wearing ruffling behind her as she moved.

Ronin believed that the clothing suited her perfectly, but there was also something about seeing her in the garb of the Leafmen that was strange. Having seen her in the more feminine clothing the day before, he's been expecting something similar to have been provided to her when she woke. In this outfit her shoulders were exposed and the small size of her waist was accentuated, her hair bunched up exposed the pale elegance of her neck.

She paused when they reached a fork in the corridors, letting Ronin take the lead since he actually knew where they were going. Éabha did her best to focus on the directions wanting to know her way around as soon as possible, but at the same time everything was so fascinating to look at as they were walking. It made for a very distracting voyage through the halls, and barely any of the twists and turns stayed with her because of that.

He called for one of the guards to prepare his bird as they were passing, giving the man time to rush off as Éabha followed the General the remainder of the way at a leisurely pace.

The moment they stepped outside, Éabha sighed softly at the feeling of the sun touching her skin. Being so close and surrounded by nature, all she could smell was fresh, clean air; having lived in the city before, this was a dream for her. Putting aside the fact that she was given a second chance at life, she couldn't have thought of a better place to spend that life than among the Jinn and Leafmen.

"Ready?" Ronin asked as he turned to look back at her over his shoulder. Éabha looked away from the towering trees to meet Ronin's soft blue eyes and nodded in acquiescence as a smile brightened her features.

"When you are," she answered, beginning to walk again so she could close the distance between them. Ronin's bird was saddled and waiting with one of the junior Leafmen holding the reigns.

This time, Ronin mounted first but slid far enough forward that there was room for Éabha to slip in behind him. He held out a hand for her, the other grasping the saddle for stability, and pulled the thin woman up behind him as though she weighed no more than a feather. Éabha was thankful that she had pants this time, sitting with her thighs on either side of the General's, while she wrapped an arm around his torso to remain in the saddle.

Once Ronin had the reigns in his hands, they were quick to take flight and leave Moonhaven behind them. She gripped onto his torso tightly, the speed of the flight more than she had been expecting. There had been security of his body behind her the previous day, and Finn had flown much slower when the Queen was riding with them before that.

However, she was still able to enjoy the flight to the same tree as the day before. Taking in as much as she could of the scenery, the red haired beauty was left in awe once more. How would she ever become used to this life? She wasn't sure it was possible to ever become bored of the views surrounding her, even if she lived out the next century in the forest, among the Jinn and Leafmen.

"I want to thank you," she finally stated after a few minutes of peaceful flight, "for coming to speak with me last night. I don't know how long I would have forced myself to remain awake had we not spoken."

"You have nothing to fear here," he assured in response. Somehow, even though she barely knew the man, Éabha believed him. There was faith and trust in what he was saying to her.

Silently, Éabha tightened her grip around the man's waist.


End file.
